458 Lott instead of 416 Rigby?

[Axle2010]

What was the load on the 450? A 450 Rigby can be loaded pretty much up 460Wby velocity if memory serves?

My .458 Win mag is the first rifle I own that will give me a recoil headache while shooting offhand. The .375 Ruger is an absolute dream compared to that. I remember the good ol' days when I thought a .300 Win mag kicked hard... then I joined AH, and I own a .458.

THIS IS WHAT THIS FORUM DOES TO PEOPLE!!! It takes otherwise sensible personal caliber choices and makes them feel like a red rider BB gun, and you want to graduate to the REAL rifles!!

You are % right on that! I've always been fascinated by the 375 for some reason but living where I do I never even considered anything bigger but now I need a 416 Rigby and a 460 and I think a 470 NE and I'm starting to like the sound of that 450 Rigby... yall are gonna cost me a fortune lol

 

[Axle2010]

Do you reload?
If so, you can work up in to it.

If so the .458 Lott can be a great rifle to work up from 45-70 high pressure loads up to and including.458 Lott loads.

The CZ 550 is a great platform, some need more work smoothing the action than others, but once tuned they are all good. Several good gunsmiths around the country can tune them into fine machines.
I’ve owned 3. The .416 Rigby was substantial, but not terrible in recoil. The .458 Lott was versatile with different reloads. The .500 Jeffery was awesome but a bit too much of a good thing.

I shoot a .458 Win Mag with my reloads, works great, fits me, versatile. The Lott is just a little bit better.

If I was in the market for another big bore, and CZ 550 in 458 Lott was available for $1K, I would buy it today.

If you don’t buy it, tell other AH members here about the gunshop contact and I’m sure someone here will buy it shortly.

Yes sir kind of at least. I'm just getting started in reloading. Between work and my daughter time is harder to find than money for once. From what I understand the big bores and straight wall cartridges are easier to load for than bottlenecks so a 458 may not be a bad start.

 

[Flewis]

By the time I got my first 375 I had owned 2 458s, a 460wby and a 416wby.

 

[Green Chile]

If you have gotten comfortable with a 375 then you can handle a 416 Rem or Rigby (Wby is a different animal). I have a couple of Lotts and the recoil is more than most can handle. It takes more practice than most are willing to commit to. I think the Lott is really a stopping rifle for a pro or a serious, dedicated client. Get one if you want but the 416 is a much more versatile cartridge than the Lott. The 375 is the most versatile of all. The Lott is a good thick skinned DG round but how many of those hippos and elephant will you chase? These are questions only you can answer and of course, you're free to shoot as big a gun as you want to for fun.

 

[RR 314]

You seemed to reference the .416 Rigby being more versatile than the .458 Lott. I don’t know how the Rigby would be much more versatile, but both are solid choices. As long as properly weighted, the Lott is manageable by most. I have rifles in many dangerous game chamberings and the Lott remains one of my favorites. For $1000 you can’t go wrong.

 

[colorado]

For your first big bore I would go with a 416 Rigby. It will kill anything on the planet. It will shoot flatter and penetrate better than a 458 Lott, and kick a lot less. If you decide to step up, go witha 50 cal (500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs).

 

[ACM]

Go for the Lott & practice. If you find the recoil to be a little much, lower the velocity (if you hand load). Many 450 & 470NE’s are only shooting around 2000fps in reality. You can kill any DG you want with that.
PS whatever you buy make sure you can sell without taking much of a loss and you’ll be fine. I’ve bought many guns at the right price just to “try them out”, then sold.

 

[RR 314]

If you have gotten comfortable with a 375 then you can handle a 416 Rem or Rigby (Wby is a different animal). I have a couple of Lotts and the recoil is more than most can handle. It takes more practice than most are willing to commit to. I think the Lott is really a stopping rifle for a pro or a serious, dedicated client. Get one if you want but the 416 is a much more versatile cartridge than the Lott. The 375 is the most versatile of all. The Lott is a good thick skinned DG round but how many of those hippos and elephant will you chase? These are questions only you can answer and of course, you're free to shoot as big a gun as you want to for fun.

Apologies. Didn’t mean to “rebut” your points. Heck, I didn’t even see them before I posted. . Agree the .375 offerings are the most versatile if one wants a one-gun safari rifle.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Rifle weight, powder charge, bullet weight etc All have a lot to do with felt recoil as well as rifle fit. A well fitting well balanced 458 Lott will probably have less felt recoil than a poor fitting 416. If all thing's were equal I'd be surprised if the 458 Lott would really produce much more felt recoil given the size of the powder charge in the 416 Rigby. If you are not too recoil sensitive you should be able to learn to shoot both calibres equally well, both can produce more than 5000ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle so plenty of power from either one no matter what you are hunting. My preference is 458 calibres, 450 Rigby is my favourite but it does take some hanging onto even in a big heavy rifle.

 

[Axle2010]

If you have gotten comfortable with a 375 then you can handle a 416 Rem or Rigby (Wby is a different animal). I have a couple of Lotts and the recoil is more than most can handle. It takes more practice than most are willing to commit to. I think the Lott is really a stopping rifle for a pro or a serious, dedicated client. Get one if you want but the 416 is a much more versatile cartridge than the Lott. The 375 is the most versatile of all. The Lott is a good thick skinned DG round but how many of those hippos and elephant will you chase? These are questions only you can answer and of course, you're free to shoot as big a gun as you want to for fun.

I love my 375, can shoot it all day but that could be because that model 70 seems to fit me very well. I have no desire to shoot elephant or hippo either one honestly and my 375 is good for buffalo so I have no NEED for anything bigger. Most of the blood mine would shed will be on south GA hogs.

 

[krish]

I love my 375, can shoot it all day but that could be because that model 70 seems to fit me very well. I have no desire to shoot elephant or hippo either one honestly and my 375 is good for buffalo so I have no NEED for anything bigger. Most of the blood mine would shed will be on south GA hogs.

For the number of times you may shoot an Elephant or a Rhino will be a factor. Even if it is only once if you have disposabe funds why not.
Krish.

 

[BeeMaa]

I can tell you fit makes a difference, the 458Lott fit me very well and it was not a problem to shoot.

@Axle2010 - As the caliber goes up, rifle fit and shooting technique becomes more critical. You can get away with a lot of mistakes shooting a 22lr, but step up to a 30-06 and those same mistakes can get you scope cut. Up the ante to a 458LOTT and these principals go from important to paramount.

You have experience with medium bores so your feet are wet. Taking on the 458LOTT will be a challenge but not insurmountable by any means. Go slow and work your way up. You are not going to get good in two or three range sessions. It will take at least weeks (closer to a year for most) depending on how your body/mind reacts to recoil. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

IMO - Buy the rifle, even if you don't get along...your AH friends will be willing to take it off your hands.

As for the 460WBY...let's wait until you master the 458LOTT and go from there.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Lott over the Rigby. There are no inexpensive bullets in .416 unless you're casting your own. As others have said it's easy to scale the Lott up and down with power levels. You can make it a pussycat or an absolute powerhouse. It's a stopper with the ability to reach out to 200 yards without excessive drop. Unless you're absolutely hell bent on shooting your big bore beyond 200 yards extensively, the Lott is the answer.

 

[Fatback]

Axle2010,

I am in south central GA, Lowndes county. I have a 404 Jeffery you’d be welcome to come shoot a couple of times if you’d like. I’ve never shot any of the 458s so I don’t know how the recoil from the 404J would compare. I find the recoil to be manageable but not enjoyable by any means. I know I can tell it’s more than my 375 H&H for sure.

 

[Frederik]

Oh it stays under 1k I'm get it anyway. Can 458 Lott be turned into 460 Weatherby? That's my top end big bore desire alone with a 470 NE double but that's many $$$$ away.

Why go that route the 460 Weatherby is too much too handle for most and the bullets is under a lott of stress to perform at the higher velocities. Keep is at 500gr with 2200-2300fps more than enough for even a TREX.

I love my Lott and I have had no modifications done excpet oiling the stock no extra weight or recoil reducer standard CZ550 and it did take sometime to get use to it.
From a bench its a bitch so I use 4 leg shooting sticks standing upright to sight it in now.
On a shooting day competion I have shot it as much as 36 shots over the course of the day as fast and accurate as possible and you do feel some bruising on shoulder but otherwise 15-20 shots per day and no issues.

Very important it must fit you and you can use the correct powders to fill the case rather than use faster powders it takes out some bite on the recoil.

 

[John1989]

I don't know about shooting one first yall, I'm in southeast Georgia so there's probably not one within 300 miles of me.

I’ve got a 458 Lott, win mag, 416 rigby and 375 h&h and I live in Atlanta Georgia so come get some; in the name of research, if you want to

 

[PCC600]

Rifle weight, powder charge, bullet weight etc All have a lot to do with felt recoil as well as rifle fit. A well fitting well balanced 458 Lott will probably have less felt recoil than a poor fitting 416. If all thing's were equal I'd be surprised if the 458 Lott would really produce much more felt recoil given the size of the powder charge in the 416 Rigby. If you are not too recoil sensitive you should be able to learn to shoot both calibres equally well, both can produce more than 5000ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle so plenty of power from either one no matter what you are hunting. My preference is 458 calibres, 450 Rigby is my favourite but it does take some hanging onto even in a big heavy rifle.

Agree 100% with all the points you make in your post .

 

[Foxi]

The Lott would also be mine.
Also, if I don't like the recoil, you can shoot a normal 458 out of it.
Question for you : has anyone done this and how was the accuracy?
It's best to use both, your wife won't notice the difference once the 416 is on the table

 

[saswart]

I was in same position, had a 375H&H. Got a 458, but the itch remained and rather than getting a steel brush to remove the itch, I got the 416Rigby as well. My reasoning and opinion would be to get the 458 Lott, yes it is higher "jump up" in caliber and and. If it is to much, then just sell it and get the 416Rigby.

The Lott is supposed to be easier on the pocket (not shoulder) so that is a plus. If you like it and still want the Rigby then you get the Rigby because you want it. With a 375 and 458 Lott there is nothing you cannot shoot with the combination, so you are adequately covered. Then again, if you feel a 458 and 375 is to much the same, sell both and get the 416 Rigby as middle ground..

But buyer beware, once you venture into anything higher than 375....you tend to want more and more...375, 416/404 something, 458 something, 500J/505G, double rifle - its addictive and difficult to stop

 

[Axle2010]

I was in same position, had a 375H&H. Got a 458, but the itch remained and rather than getting a steel brush to remove the itch, I got the 416Rigby as well. My reasoning and opinion would be to get the 458 Lott, yes it is higher "jump up" in caliber and and. If it is to much, then just sell it and get the 416Rigby.

The Lott is supposed to be easier on the pocket (not shoulder) so that is a plus. If you like it and still want the Rigby then you get the Rigby because you want it. With a 375 and 458 Lott there is nothing you cannot shoot with the combination, so you are adequately covered. Then again, if you feel a 458 and 375 is to much the same, sell both and get the 416 Rigby as middle ground..

But buyer beware, once you venture into anything higher than 375....you tend to want more and more...375, 416/404 something, 458 something, 500J/505G, double rifle - its addictive and difficult to stop

Yes sir that actually scares me, I've already been bitten by that nasty little bug and I haven't got a big bore yet! I hate to know what I'm going to want after I get my first one. I'll end up with a 600 Overkill before I'm done lol